Page 56 of Sizzle
17
Alex
The bravado on Joelle’s face begins to wane in the lingering silence after her bold proclamation. I love seeing her like that, daring and straightforward, going for what she wants. She ought to have everything she wants.
And what she really wants is Elliot. They’re here with me now—that’s one hell of a testament to how much they want to be together. If I hadn’t suggested the idea to Joelle, I don’t know that they’d ever get close enough to even try.
She’s perfect for him—brave enough to call him on his bullshit when he blusters, but not afraid to show when she’s vulnerable, which will keep his rougher edges in check. And God knows, she’s good for him.
That’s my role in all this; I realize that now. I knew there was never a chance for me and Elliot to be together, not in a romantic way. No matter how curious or heteroflexible he might actually be, he’s my best friend, not my lover.
No, my role here is to make sure these two don’t screw up what could be a good thing between them.
In the meantime, I’ll take what I can get, consequences be damned.
Joelle looks worried at my continued silence so I stroke my fingers down her cheek.
“There’s a little more room on my bed,” I tell her. “What do you say, sunshine?”
I can actually feel the heat rushing to her face under my fingertips. She’s so damn responsive, a walking wet dream.
I glance at Elliot. He’s pushing her feet off his lap, standing up to offer his hand. Joelle takes it and he swoops her up into his arms, making her squeal. I bite back a laugh but can’t hide my smile. His thick corded arms flex as he skirts around me, walking like she weighs nothing. In a short while, I get to see all that strength, all that deathless pent-up energy of his put to work in service of Joelle.
I can hardly wait.
I follow them back to my bedroom, watching Elliot set Joelle down carefully on the edge of the bed. He kneels before her, pulling her socks off. When he lifts her foot to press a tiny kiss to the tips of her toes, Joelle blushes hard and covers her red face with her hands.
He’s over the moon for her. It pulls at my heart to watch them, my cock stirring with interest. No matter how badly it’s going to devastate me when it’s over, I’m in this for every minute they’ll let me stay.
Joelle’s peeking out from between her fingers now, looking my way.
“You planning to stand there and watch all night?” she asks.
“It’s a thought.” I approach the bed slowly, standing next to them, Elliot still kneeling at our feet.
When he looks up at me, my stomach twists. I want to stroke his cheek, the way I did to Joelle just a moment ago on the couch, but I don’t dare. There are lines being crossed here tonight, but not that one.
“Stand up, Elliot.” His eyes widen and if I’m not mistaken, the bulge behind his fly jerks at the order as he does what I tell him.
For a man who is so determined to control his own world, he’s quick to defer to me. It’s fueled my fantasies for years, once I figured it out. For now, I take a moment, watching their faces before I pull Joelle to her feet. I set my mouth to work near her ear and whisper.
“Undress him.” She shivers, lifting those soft, strong hands to his collar, loosing the button there. She makes her way down his shirt button by button, trembling only a little as I lay kiss after kiss along the curve of her neck. When she reaches his belt, Elliot’s eyes jerk up to meet mine. I realize he’s waiting for permission and my cock begins to throb.
Not touching him tonight is going to be sheer, unadulterated hell.
Joelle tugs the shirttails from his pants, pushing the sleeves down his muscled shoulders. Her gasp covers the sound of mine. I’ve never gotten used to seeing Elliot without a shirt, but lately he’s taken his workouts to a new level. Every ounce of his frustration over Duckbill, over Joelle, and maybe even over what happened the other night between me and him, it’s all been etched into those muscles, adding to their bulk and definition.
Joelle is no less awed by his body, apparently having forgotten the task at hand. I slap her ass lightly.
“Now, now, sunshine,” I say as she gasps. “Plenty of time for that later. You’re only half done here.”
“Damn it, Alex,” says Elliot, his voice rough. I smile.
“Sorry, El. Rules are rules.”
“Are there rules?” Joelle says softly, glancing between us as she slowly works his leather belt open. It’s a fair question. I cover her hands with mine, stilling her, my knuckles accidentally brushing across Elliot’s rigid abdomen. He sucks in a breath and I have to focus hard to remember Joelle’s question.
“Only the ones we make ourselves,” I murmur into her ear. I catch Elliot’s gaze and hold it. “No other rules allowed. In here, we make the rules ourselves.”